Amalgam-mixer.



G. HOLTZ.

AMALGAM MIXER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 14, 1915.

Patented May16, 1916.

NI a 6 4 5 L 6 W 3 3 2 MM F 1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GUSTAV HOLTZ, OF GOULDSBORO, PENNSYLVANIA.

AMALGAM-MIXER.

Application filed August 14, 1915.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GUSTAV HoL'rz, citizen of the United States, residing at Gouldsboro, in the county of lVayne and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Amalgam-Mixer, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in amalgam mixers, and more particularly for mixing amalgam for dental fillings.

The object is to provide a mixing receptacle which may be supported in the hand of the operator, during the rotation of the agitator or mixer in mixing the amalgam.

A further object of the invention is in the provision of means for causing the agitator or mixer to receive a reciprocating as well as a rotary movement.

The invention consists of certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and pointed out in the following claims, it being understood that changes in the form, proportion, material and minor details of construction, within the scope of the appended claims, may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

In the accompanying drawings,Figure l is a vertical sectional view of the invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional View taken at right angles to the plane of Fig. 1 and showing the knife at right angles to the position of the knife in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through the plunger or plug. Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the'plug or plunger taken at right angles to the plane of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the mixer and shaft, and Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a slightly modified form of mixer.

A represents a member which is preferably tubular in shape, and is provided with a recess 1. The lower portion of the member A and recess 1 is preferably formed in the shape of an inverted cone, as at 2, forming a mixing chamber. The depth of the mixing chamber is perhaps one-half or less than one-half of the depth of the recess 1. Received in the recess 1 is a cylindrical plunger or plug 3 which is provided with a central opening '4 through which the shaft 5 extends. Connected to the lower terminal of the shaft 5 is a knife or mixer 6. The knife or mixer is preferably made in the form of a triangle, the lower terminal or Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 16, 1916.

Serial N 0. 45,556.

corner being rounded as at 7 The knife or mixer is adapted to be rotated within the mixing chamber 2, without coming in contact with the walls or bottom of the mixing chamber. A flange 8 is formed along one of the vertical edges of the knife or mixer 6, and extends at right angles to the knife or mixer. The outer edge of the flange tapers downwardly.

A spring 9 is mounted on the shaft 5, and one terminal of the spring is received in a recess 10 formed in the outer terminal of the plunger or plug 3, and the other terminal is held by a collar 11 which is connected to the shaft 5 by a screw 12. The

collar 11 is capable of movement longitudinally of the shaft 5 for regulating the tension of the spring. The spring 9 tends to force the shaft 5 outwardly, thereby maintaining the upper or outer terminal of the knife or mixer against the inner or lower terminal ofthe plug or plunger.

The lower terminal of the plunger or plug 3, when'inserted in the recess 1, will be held against further insertion into the recess by the upper edge of the cone-shaped mixing chamber 2, so that the plunger will not in any wise'interfere with the operation of the mixer or knife regardless of the pressure applied to the plunger during the mixing operation.

A milled ring or flange 13 is formed along the outer terminal of the plunger or plug for inserting the plunger or plug in and removing it from the member A. The inner terminal of the plug or plunger is provided with a groove or concavity 14, which extends transversely of the inner end of the plug or plunger through the central portion thereof. The groove or concavity 14 forms ridges or raised portions 15 on each side thereof, so that the outer terminal of the knife or mixer is either in engagement with the raised portions 15 or the concaved surface 14.

The shaft 5 when the mixer is to be operated will be connected with a'dental engine, for causingthe mixer to. be rotated for mixing the amalgam and mercury, and as the mixer or knife is caused to rotate the uneven surface of the lower or inner terminal of the plug or plunger will cause the knife or mixer to receive a reciprocating movement. The combined rotary and reciprocating movement of the mixer or blade causes the alloy to be agitated within the mixing chamber 2,

and as the knife or mixer is reciprocated it will cut the alloy so that the alloy is being constantly cut and agitated, whereby a better mixture is obtained than by the rotary movement which is generally employed in mixing the amalgam. When the amalgam is to be mixed, the knife or mixer and plunger are inserted in the recess 1 of the memher A, the knife entering the mixing chamber 2, and the plunger 3 is inserted in the recess as far as possible and preferably held in such position. The dental engine is then operated for causing the shaft 5 to rotate, and upon the completion of the mixing operation of the alloy, the plunger and knife are removed from the member and the alloy, which will be in a loose lump at the bottom of the mixing chamber, can be discharged from the mixing chamber into the hand or onto a glass slab when it will be ready for use.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the mixing chamber 2 is so formed that there is no danger of the alloy being spread over the bottom of the mixing chamber or get ting into the corners, as is true of mixing chambers which have a smooth or flat bottom. In such instances, it is necessary to remove the amalgam from the bottom of the apparatus by means of a spatula. With this invention such objections are overcome as the constant rotary or vibratory movement imparted to the mixer or blade prevents the amalgam from sticking to the walls of the mixing chamber. The apparatus may be held in the hand or placed upon a stand or table during the operation, but the quantity which is generally used for dental purposes is so small that, in most instances, it will be possible for the dentist to hold the apparatus in his hand during the mixing operation which consumes only a few minutes.

In the modified form shown in Fig. 6, the knife 6 is made similar to the knife 6 of the form shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 5, but the flange 8 is omitted from. the knife shown in Fig. 6.

WVhat is claimed is, I

1. An amalgam mixer comprising a memher having a recess and a mixing chamber formed at the lower end of the recess, a plunger or plug received in and closing the recess of the member, a rotary shaft journaled in the plunger or plug, a mixer receivedin the mixing chamber and connected to the shaft whereby upon the rotation of the shaft the mixer will be rotated, means for holding the mixer in engagement with the inner end of the plunger or plug, and means provided on the plunger for imparting a reciprocatory movement to the mixer as it is rotated. I

:2. An amalgam mixer comprising a member having a recess formed therein, a plug or plunger received in the recess of the member, a shaft rotatably mounted in the plunger or plug, a mixer received in the recess and connected'to the shaft adapted to be rotated upon the rotation of the shaft, said mixer being held in engagement with. the inner terminal of the plug or plunger, the inner ter minal of the plunger having an unevensurface for causing the mixer to be reciprocated upon the rotation of the shaft.

3. An amalgam mixer comprising a member having a recess and a cone-shaped mixing chamber formed at the lower end of the recess, a plunger or plug received in the recess of the member,.a rotary shaft journaled in the plunger or plug, a triangularlyshaped mixer received in the mixing chamber and connected to the inner terminal of the shaft whereby upon the rotation of the shaft the mixer will be rotated, and means for holding the outer terminal of the mixer in engagement with the inner terminal of the plunger or plug and maintaining the mixer out of contact with the Walls of the mixing chamber, the inner terminal I of the plunger or plug being uneven for imparting a reciprocatory movement to the mixer upon the rotation of the shaft.

-l-. An amalgam mixer comprising a memher having a recess and a mixing chamber formed in the member at the bottom of the recess, a plug or pluger mounted in the recess, a shaft rotatably mounted in the plunger or plug, a mixer connected to the shaft and adapted to be rotated upon the rotation of the shaft, said mixer being received in the mixing chamber, a spring mounted on the shaft, a collar mounted on the shaft, said spring interposed between the collar and the outer terminal of the plug or plunger for holding the outer terminal of the mixer in contact with the inner terminal of the plug or plunger, said plugor plunger having an uneven surface formed on the inner terminal thereof for causing the mixer to receive a reciprocatory movement upon the rotation of the shaft.

An amalgam mixer comprising a member having a recess and a cone shaped mixing chamber formed therein at the bottom of the recess, a plug or plunger mounted in the recess and held above the mixing chamber, a shaft rotatably mounted-in the plug or plunger, a triangularly shaped knife connected to the shaft and having the lower the shaft, the edges of said knife being held out of engagement with the Walls of the mixing chamber.

6. In an amalgam mixer comprising a member having a recess and a cone-shaped mixing chamber formed therein at the bottom of the recess, a plug or plunger received in the recess and held above the mixing chamber, a triangular shaped knife received in the mixing chamber and having a tapering flange formed along one edge thereof, the lower terminal of the knife being rounded and the edges of the knife held out of engagement with the walls of the mixing chamber, a shaft extending through the plug or plunger connected to the knife for rotating the same, and means for maintaining the outer terminal of the knife in engagement with the inner terminal of the plug or plunger, the latter having the inner terminal thereof provided with an uneven surface for imparting a reciprocatory movement to the knife upon the rotation of the knife.

to be rotated upon the rotation of the shaft,

said mixer adapted to engage the inner terminal of the plug or plunger, the inner terminal of the plunger having a concavity formed therein providing ridges along the sides of the concavity thereby producing an uneven surface for causing the mixer to be reciprocated upon the rotation of the shaft, and a spring provided on the shaft to keep the mixer in close engagement with the inner side of the plug or plunger.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

GUSTAV HOLTZ.

Witnesses:

GEORGE O. BOYLE, ORION SMi'rH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

